I found in my owners manual a description of the Electronic Stability Program but there is nothing in the control section on the ESP button. If I push it will the car use its ESP to predict that I will be in an accident tomorrow?

The manual describes the ASR button where my wagon has a button marked ESP. Are they the same thing? Should the button be pushed or left alone when it's slippery?

Leave it alone. It is always on. Pressing the button will disable it and a light will appear on the dash to indicate it is off. It will turn itself back on the next time you restart the car. Here's a video of what it does: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/vw/32207/
Skip the marketing drone and fast forward to the 1:18 mark to watch the demonstration.

<-- just for you Aja8888. Someday maybe you'll get a widescreen monitor or just put up with the fact that sometimes, the information conveyed is more important than resizing the photo.

Pushing it removes the function IIRC. If you find ESP preventing your progress due to ice, pressing the button will allow the tires to spin without all the automatic anti-spin control engaging.
I have never had to press it, but we only get snow a few times a year here.

Leave it alone. It is always on. Pressing the button will disable it and a light will appear on the dash to indicate it is off. It will turn itself back on the next time you restart the car. Here's a video of what it does: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/vw/32207/
Skip the marketing drone and fast forward to the 1:18 mark to watch the demonstration.

<-- just for you Aja8888. Someday maybe you'll get a widescreen monitor or just put up with the fact that sometimes, the information conveyed is more important than resizing the photo.

I have an IBM Thinkpad. It is a big as I could get (15.5"). Sorry. Most folks here don't have 24" widescreen monitors. Maybe the BMW forum guys all do?

Thanks for the info. I Have ESP (edit).

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Mike

........"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face." -- philosopher Mike Tyson.

It looks like ESP is for stability while going through curves or in lane changes. Is there a disadvantage to having it on or off when driving straight in slippery conditions such as snow covered or icy roads?

It is very helpful when dealing with puddles in your lane. The ESP helps to keep your car going straight right through without allowing the front tires to be "grabbed" by the puddle.

aja8888 - Your Passat must be an oddball because according to my 2005 Passat brochure, ESP, ASR, and EDL were all standard for the GLS. But, the brochure is wrong in some cases, like not mentioning the availability of cloth seats. I suspect yours was one of the first batches off the line after the end of the 2004 MY.

It looks like ESP is for stability while going through curves or in lane changes. Is there a disadvantage to having it on or off when driving straight in slippery conditions such as snow covered or icy roads?

It's very helpful when changing lanes and having to cut through the little globs of built-up snow between the lanes... Keep it on all the time except when you're trying to creep up a snowy hill... the ESP will eventually put the brakes on both sides of the car if it gets confused enough...

aja8888 - Your Passat must be an oddball because according to my 2005 Passat brochure, ESP, ASR, and EDL were all standard for the GLS. But, the brochure is wrong in some cases, like not mentioning the availability of cloth seats. I suspect yours was one of the first batches off the line after the end of the 2004 MY.

EDIT: I have ESP, I am wrong...

Just researched specs on the 2005 Passat TDI and ESP was an option, not a standard feature. So not all of them may have them, unless Edmunds is wrong..

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Mike

........"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face." -- philosopher Mike Tyson.

It is very helpful when dealing with puddles in your lane. The ESP helps to keep your car going straight right through without allowing the front tires to be "grabbed" by the puddle.

aja8888 - Your Passat must be an oddball because according to my 2005 Passat brochure, ESP, ASR, and EDL were all standard for the GLS. But, the brochure is wrong in some cases, like not mentioning the availability of cloth seats. I suspect yours was one of the first batches off the line after the end of the 2004 MY.

My 2004 GLS has cloth seats also. Sure, the leather would have looked better, but here, parked outside at work during the day, I've come to appreciate the cloth after my shift.

And back on topic... It might be just me, but I could swear that turning the ESP off in normal, dry pavement conditions causes my transmission to shift more smoothly. I don't make a habit of turning the ESP off, but you know what happens when you tell some people, "Here's a button, but DON'T push it!"

Just researched specs on the 2005 Passat TDI and ESP was an option, not a standard feature. So not all of them may have them, unless Edmunds is wrong..

Our 2005 B5 does not have ESP, it only has ASR. It has a negative option on the window sticker that says something like "without ESP".

Of course it's also painted a color that wasn't available in 2005, go figure. I am thinking it was pushed back in a corner rework area or something over the summer holiday in Germany and got lost until production started back up on the 2005's.